Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
HOE 77/F 006
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Fluorination catalysts belonging to the group of chromoxy-
fluorides obtainable, for example, by ~luorination of hydrated
chromic oxides wikh hydrogen fluoride (cf. German Auslege-
schrift 1,252,182) or by heating water-containing chrom c tri-
fluoride in the presence of oxygen ~cf. US patent 2,745,886)
are excellently suitable for the ~luorination of chlorinated
and/or bromated aliphatic hydrocarbons in the gaseous phase.
These catalysts, however, have the disadvantage that their ex-
change activity gradually weakens and that the hydrogen fluo-
ride conversion is reduced, when they are contacted ~or a pro--
longed period of time with halogen-containing carbon compounds,
especially those which contain in addition hydrogen and/or oxy-
gen.
It is already known that catalysts of said type may be re--
activated by treating them with oxygen at a temperature of about
500 C, this measure, however, being efficient only for a short
period of time.
Said catalysts have furthermore been treated with elemen-
tary chlorine at a temperature of from 200 to 500 C (cf. Ger-
man Patent 1,194,826). These reactivation processes are gene-
rally carried out at a temperature of about 300 C, higher tem-
peratures of at least ~00 C being required, when the catalysts
are damaged to a considerable extent.
It is further known from German Patent 1,767,200 to use
hydrogen fluoride for the regeneration of fluorination cata-
lysts belonging to the group of the chromoxyfluorides,at a tem-
perature of from 100 to 600 C. It has become manifest, how--
ever, that these regeneration processes cannot prevent a gra~
29 dual deactivation of the catalysts, thus the above~mertiorled
006
chlorination ~roces~ being additionally re~ui~ed.
Experience ~as s~own that regenera~ion processes using
; hydrogen fluori~e for catalysts which had been used for a
very extended period of time did not lead to the desired ef-
fect..S~larly reactivation could be per~oxmed only with diffi-
culty when using chlori~ne, for example considerably increased
t~atures were require~.and great amDunts o~ chlorine had to be added.
Owing to the relatively high temperatures durin~ the reacti-
vation by means of chlorine hitherto used~ the catalyst ma-
terial must be trans~erred ~rom the steel reactors which are
conventional for use for the f~uorination of chlorinated hy-
drocarbons ~ith hydrogen fluoride, to suitable chlorine~resi-
stant recipients, for exam~le recip~ents made of nickel. This
procedure requires high costs, much time and a considerable
expenditure on energie and matter~ ~hus the apparatus in the
concerned par-t of the fluorination plant must be s~itched-of~
and cooled, the reactivation reactor must be heated and cooled
in` complicated manner and the ~reshly charged fluorination re-
actor must be heated agein~ Furthermore, losses in catalyst
20substance due to abrasion duri~ng pouring must be taken into
account~
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
. . .
provide an improved process for the reactivation of used, slic,ht-
ly or highly deactiva-ted chromoxyfluo~ide catalysts~
This problem to reactivate fluorination catalyst belong-
ing to the chromoxyfluoride group, is solved by treating the
catalysts with elementary fluorine at a temperature of from
7Q to 3~0~ C~
29
The p~ocess according to the invention is carried out in
:
4 ~ HOE 77~ 006
accordance with conventional catalytic gas-solid reactions, by
passing gaseous fluorine in diluted or pure form through a heat-
able reactor tube charged with the solid catalyst material,
the tube consisting of a material sufficiently resistant to
fluor~ne and hydrogen fluoride, for example nickel, steel,
copper, or platinum or being lined, for example with po].ytetra-
fluoroethylene.
The reaction is carried out at a temperature of from 70 to
300 C, preferably of from 90 to 250 C, especially of from
` 10 150 to 210 C~
The 1uorine used in the process of the invention is sui-
tably diluted with an inert gas and/or anhydrous hydrogen fluc~
ridet
The process is preferably carried out under anhydrous con-
~5 ditions.
The feed rate of fluorine is not critical and is generallyin the range of from 0.01 to 5.0 l~h, preferably of from 0.1
~nd 2,0 l/h per liter of contact material. The upper limit of
the total quantity of fluorine i~troduced is not cri.tical
either, since damages of the catalyst material as a conseguence
of a fluorine treatment with a quantity surpassing said limits
could not be observed in subsequent Cl/F exchan~e testes and
in the HF conversion obtained~ For economical reasons the
fluorine feed should be suitably discontinued soon after the
~5 first positive tests for fluorine at the gas outlet tube of the
reactor. These tests may be carried out for example with paper
tes~ strips imp~egnated with potasium iodlde.
The feed of the inert gas, for example nitrogen, argon,
2~ helium or tetrafluoromethane is not critical~ The use of an
HOE_77/F 006
inert g~s certainly may be dispensed with, but it has the
advantage that unwanted high temperature peaks are prevented
when the fluorine current ~s diluted. The feed rate of inert
gas per liter of contact material is in the range of from 0
to 10 l/h, preferably of from 0.3 to 3~0 l/hr The total quan-
tity of inert gas passed through is not critical, either, how-
ever, it is maintained at a low levei for economical reasons~
Adding hydrogen fluoride, advantageously in anhydrous form,
is not necessary, but sui~able. The feed rate per liter of
con~act material of the gaseous hydrogen fluoride is in the
range of from 0 to 200 g/h, preferably of from 5 to 50 g/h.
The total quantity of hydrogen fluoride passed through is not
critical. Hydrogen fluoride WhiCh has been passed over the
catalyst may be subsequently condensed and/or be used for fw~her
fluorination reac~ions.
The reactivation time according to the process of the in
vention depends on the previous history and especially on the
degree of deactivation of the chromoxyfluoride catalyst, on
the added qu~ntity of fluorine and on the temperatures employ-
ed (refer to the examples). It is generally in the range of
from 3 to 60 hours. Longer reactivation times are possible,
but do not bring about a technical advantage. The efficiency
of the reactivation has been tested and been proved by tests
of long duration (refer to Example 5~.
The process a~cording to the invention is ca~ried out
under norma3 pressure~but eY~cess pressures may be applied
within wide limits. Thus it may be operated under a pressure
of from 1 to 10 bars or moret preferahly of from 1 to 3 bars,
2~ Fluorina~ions carried out on an inclustrjal scale should be per-
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HOE 77/F 006
formed in continuous and uniformous manner. The process accord~
ing to the in~ention enab]es reactivations by means of hydrogen
fluoride to be carried out during the regenerat;~on phases ~1hich
are usual in technical processes.
It is surprising that no detectable dama~es due to the treat-
ment with elementary fluorine can be found at the catalyst ma-
terial, while the values of the exchange activity (chlorine ~or
fluorine) and the hydrogen fluoride conversion are distinctly
and enduringly improved~ A particular advantage is furthermore
that the temperatures which have to be used for an efficient
reactivation of highly damaged cata]ysts are unexpectedly low
in comparison with temperatureS of ~he state of the art.
The process according to the invention represents a con-
siderab1e technical progress, as it replac~sthe hitherto used
reactivation of chromoxyfluoride catalysts with chlorine and
since it can be carriedout in steel reactors of the type which
are used for the preparation of fluorinated chlorinated hydro-
carbons. The reactants of the present invention enable the
process of the invention to be combined with the hitherto known
regeneration using hydrogen fluoride. The technical progress
moreover resides in the fact that it enables even highly deacti-
vated catalysts, which could be activated only with difficulty
hitherto, to be reactivated economically and be used again in
the industry, with a low expenditure on material and energ~
Thus the life time of highly damaged catalysts and of those
danaged to a lower extent, which belong to the group of chrom-
~oxyfluorides, may be considerably prolonged to an extent by far
beyond the results hitherto achieved~ These catalysts are
29 valuable agents and can be used in a wid~ field of applicaticn.
-- 6 --
~ HOE 77/F 006
The cat~lysts to be activ~ted by the process of the inven-
zion consist of chromium, oxygen and fluorine (in addition to
low quanti~ies of organic poisons~ and are non-volatile solid
substances at temperatures of from 70 to 300 Ce Catalysts in
which the molar ratio of Cr:F is in the range of Erom ~:1 to
1:2 and that of Cr:O is of from 1:1 to 1:2 are especially appro-
, prlate.
The following examples ~llustrate the invention:E X A M P L E 1:
The test apparatus for the reactivation of chromoxyfluoride
catalysts with elemen-tary fluorine was composed of a vertically
arranged nickel tube of 150 cm length and of 5 cm diameterO
The reactor tube was heated by a jacket. Inside of ~le nickel tube
a VA-steel tube having an outer diameter of 0.6 cm, an inner
diameter of 0.4 cm and a length of 145 cm, into which a thermo-
element can be introduced at any desired level of the reactor
for measuring the inner temperature, was arranged axially. A
sieve disposed in the reactor tube served for retaining the
granulated catalyst material at the desired level of the tube.
At the bottom of the reactor was arranged a separately heatable
evaporator made of nickel, into which opened the tubes for hy-
drogen fluoride (gaseous), diluted or un-diluted gaseous fluo-
rine or for chlorinated hydrocarbons (liquid~ The temperatllre
in the evaporator was maintained at a level between the boiling
~5 point of the feed chlorohydrocarbons and the reactor temperature.
From the top of the nickel reactox a tube lead to a washing re--
ceiver containing water, where the hydro~en halide containing
mixtures stel~nin~ from the fluorinatioll or chlorocarbons ~iere
w~shed. The acid aqueous solutions thus formed wer~ L~t~r titr-i+
-- 7 -
4 ~ ~6 HOE 77/F 006
'
~' ed. In reaçtivati~ons fluorine tests axe carried out at the gas
outlet tube ( r or ex~mp~e by means of potassium iodide strips) and
the washin~ receiver IS omi`tted.
,, The process of the invention was carried out in the follow-
ing manner: elementary fluorine (F2~ was taken out of a,
con~ercial steel cylinder, measured by means of a previously
gauged differentia] pressure flow meter and passed to the reac-
tor in un-diluted form or after having heen diluted with nitro-
gen or another inert gas~ Before the ~luorine ~low meter was
arranged a rising tube manometer for observing the dynamic pres~-
~ure set up which served simultaneously as a security valve.
The dynamic pressure meters were charged with perfluorinated
poiyether oils, the ground joints were ti~htened with a fat
bas~d on polytrifluorochloroethylene.,
Co~unercial grade hydrogen fluoride (HF~ of more than 99 ~
purity was metered in by means o~ a measuring deyîce on principle
analogous to that for the fluorine feed. The device contained
additionally heating elements to prevent a condensation of HF
in the tubes to the evaporator,
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and optionally methylene chlo--
ride (CH2Cl2) were used in technically pure form. They had been
dried over calcium chloride. The chlorinated hydrocarbons were
weighed continuously on a balance, metered in through flexibie
tube pumps and converted into the ~aseous phase in the evapora-
25 tor at 110 to 120~ C.
, 330 ml (bulk volume~ of a chromoxyfluoride catalyst which
had been prepared by fluorinating hydrated chromic oxide
(Guignek's green~ and which had been used in the industrial
29 fluorination of carbon tetrachloride were introduced into the
~ 8 --
~L~L~ J6 HOE 7 7 /~F 006
"
xeactor tube~
; A chlorine~fluQr~ne-exchange-test was performed at 3Q0~ C
for 3 hours by p~ssing 60 ~/h of HF and 95 g/h of CCl~ (molar
ratio of HF:CC14 of 3.~ . 0.62) over this catal~st Titration
of the collected HCl show~d a chlorine-fluorine-exchange value
of 2.63~ which means that of 4 chlorine atoms in CC14 2.63
chlorine atoms are exchanged on the average for ~luorine atoms.
In a subsequently performed hydrogen fluoride~conversion
test which was performed in analogous manner a~ 200 C for 3
hours using 40 g/h of HF and 190 g~h of CCl~ (molar ratio of
HF:CC14 of 2.0 : 1.24~ the hydrogen fluoride con~ersion deter-
mined by titration or the collected HCl and HF amounted to 96~5
of the feed quantity of HF.
Thereafter a gas mixture consisting of 0.3 l/h of fluorine,
t5 0.5 l/h of nitrogen and 10 g~h of hydrogen fluoride ~as passed
over the tested catalyst at an inner temperature of 95 C for
5 hours. The following values, determined in the above-describ-
ed manner were obtained.
HF conversion: 98~4 % of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 2~95
E X A M P ~ E 2
Example 1 was repeated, with the exception that the catalyst
m~terial was treated with a gas mixture of 0.15 l/h of F2, 0.5
l~h of N2 and 5 g/h of HF at an inner temperature of 190 C for
10 hours. The following activity values were determined:
~F conversion: 99~4 ~ of the theor~
Cl/F exchan~e: 3.33
The HF conversion values were determined in all examples ~y
29 titration, ~fter absorption of the yases in water. Values o~ ~.ore
HOE 77/E 006
.. than 98 % of the theory were in aaditio~ checked by potentio-
metric titration, with a fluorlde-specific, repeatedly gauged
~: electrode.
: E X A M P L E 3:
S The catalyst obtained and reactivated in Example 2 was
~` tested in the same apparatus as in Example 1 for determining
its stability to an excessive fluorine treatment in the follow-
ing manner:
' A gas mixture consisting of 0.15 l/h of F2, 0.5 l/h of N2
1Q and 10 g/h of HF was passed over the catal.yst at an inner tem-
perature of 180 C for 74 hours. The following activity values
were found:
HF conversion: 99.5 ~ of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 3.35
~5 E X A M P L E 4:
.... _ _
The apparatus of Example 1 was charged again with the chrom-
oxyfluoride catalyst (bulk volume 330 ml; starting material the
same as in Example 1). At an inner temperature of 180 C a gas
mlxture of 0.6 l/h of F2, 0.8 l/h of N2 and 10 g/h of HF was
passed through the reactor zone for 3 hours. The following ac-
tivity values were found:
HF conversion: 99.3 % of the theory
Cl/F e~change: 3~25
E X A M P L h~ 5:
The catalyst reactivated i.n Example 4 was reacted i.n the
same apparatus as in Example 1 with carbon tetrachlori.de (rate
: 190 l/h) and h~drogen fluoride (rate ~0 g/h) for 160 hours
without further treating it with fluorine. The follo~ling
~9 values for the HF con~ersi.on were found:
" - 10 .
_E 77/F 006
; HF conversion after 51 wor~ing hours: 99.4 % of the theory
" " 114 " 99.2 ~ "
' 160 " 99,3
E X ~ M P L E_ 6:
, 5 The catalyst obtained and tested in Example 5 was submitted
:. to a damaging treatment with methylene chloride in the same
apparatus as in Example 1. After having passed CH2Cl2 (rate
150 g/h) and HF (30 g/h) at 165 C for 17 hours, a HF conversion
of 97.0 ~ of the theory was determined.
Subsequently the catalyst was reactivated at 170 C for
6 hours with a gas mi~ture consisting of 0.2 l/h of F2, 0.6
l~h of N2 and 10 g/h of HF. The following activity values were
determlned:
: HF conversion: 9~.5 % of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 3.28
E X A M P L E 7:
Example 1 was repeated, but the catalyst was treated with
a gas mixture consisting of 0.15 l/h of F2, 0. 5 l/h of N2 and
10 g/h of HF at an inner temperature of 225 C for a period of
2Q 6.5 hours.
The activity values found were as follows:
HF conversion: 99.1 % of the theory
Cl/F exchang~: 3.30
E X A M P 1, E 3:
..~
The chromoxyfluoride catalyst (bulk volume 330 ml; starting
material the same as in Example 1) was introduced into the
test apparatus of Example 1 and trealed ~7i.tll a gas mixture of
0.3 l/h of F2, n. 5 l/h of N2 and 10 g/h of HF at an inner tem-
29 perature of 310 C for 18 hours. Up~n treating the catalyst with
HOE 77/F 006
. ,_
this high quantity o fluorine at a relatively elevated tempera-
ture, the following activity values were found:
HF conversion: 98.3 ~ of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 3.02
In this test, the catalyst had changed its color from
green to greeni.sh brown. This was not observed in the other
examples.
E X A M P L_E 9:
To the reactor used i~ Example 1 were fed 330 ml of an-
other catalyst based on chromoxyfluoride which had been used in
industry for the fluorination of CC14.
The following activity values were found when the catalyst
was tested:
HF conversion: 18.5 % of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 1.67
After treating the catalyst with HF (rate 20 g/h) for 40
hours at 180 C an improved value for HF-conversion of 73.5 % of
the theory was found in a subsequent test (according to Example
1 ) .
The HF conversion could be further improved to a value
of 75.2 % of the theory by a further ir~lediately following
; treatment of the catalyst with HF (rate 20 g/h) for 65 hours
at 180 C.
ThereaEter the catalyst was reactivated for 8 hours at
165 C with a gas mixture of 1.1 l/h of F2, 1.5 l/h of N2 and
25 g/h of HF at an inner temperature of 165 C. During the
reactivatioll a temperature increase in the reactor reaction
zone of about 3 C was o~served. The following activity values
29 were measured:
- 12 -
HOE 77/F 006
~ ..
HF conversion: 97. 8 ~ of the theory
Cl/F exchange: 2.82
E X A M P L E 10:
Exa:~ple 9 was repeated using 2500 ml of the same catalyst.
5 Upon treating the catalyst for 105 hours with HF ~rate 20 g/h)
at 180 C, the HF-conversion found was 75.8 % of the theory.
Subsequently the catalyst was reactivated for ~4 . 5 hours at
` 190 C with a gas mixture consisting of 0.6 l/h of F2, 0.6 l/h
of N2 and 10 g/h of HF. At the same time a transitory tempera-
ture increase of from 2 to 3 C in a reaction zone migrating up~
wards in the reactor was observedO A value for the HF conver-
sion of 98.9 % of the theory was measured.
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